You know how money is used to buy things in stores? Well, honesty is like the “money” we use to build good relationships! Just like counterfeit money is fake and wrong, dishonesty makes relationships fake and wrong too.

After Joseph’s father Jacob died, his brothers got scared. They worried that maybe Joseph had only been nice to them only because of their dad, and now he might try to get revenge for what they had done to him years before. So Joseph sat down and had an honest conversation with his brothers.

Joseph didn’t pretend that what his brothers had done was okay. He said straight out, “What you did to me was evil.” But then he added something amazing: “But God used it for good, to save many people alive.” Joseph was honest about the hurt, but he also chose to focus on how God had used even the bad situation for good.

This shows us something important about fixing damaged relationships—we have to be honest! We can’t just pretend that hurtful things never happened or try to sweep problems under the rug. Real healing happens when we’re truthful about what went wrong AND willing to forgive and move forward.

Take Action: Is there a relationship in your life where you haven’t been completely honest? Maybe you need to admit that you did something wrong, or maybe you need to honestly tell someone how they hurt you (in a kind way). Ask God to give you courage to have honest conversations that can help heal your relationships. Remember, truth-telling isn’t meant to hurt people—it’s meant to build stronger, healthier relationships based on honesty and forgiveness.